Saturday, March 28, 2009

Weekly Groceries

I open my pantry then refrigerator, hoping to find something to eat before I go to work. After searching for a few seconds I close them disappointed that there isn't much food in my house; a good reminder that it's time to go grocery shopping. I quickly slap together some peanut butter and crackers to take with me. It's raining again and I'm not looking forward to my commute.

I drive through puddles and hear the rain pound on my windshield as I make my way slowly down a busy street. I feel my stomach growl and review my shopping list in my head: all the basics, plus my favorite cheeses, some truffle oil, and my favorite chocolate.

Then I pass the food bank near my clinic and I make myself look. There is always a long line on the weekend as people try and get something for their families for the week. I look at the people in line today, in the rain. Some are wearing coats, some are holding an empty box over their heads to try and keep dry. I wonder what the cold rain sounds like as it hits the boxes on their heads. It must sound different then it does on my windshield as I sit in my warm car. I see young and old, black and white, and everything in-between. I wonder how long they've been there in the rain, slowly inching their way toward food, their commute for the day. A poor person's traffic jam.

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My Butterfly Collection

About Me

My name really isn't Molly and I'm really not a canine. Molly was my best friend Golden Retriever. I'm using her name so I can write about things and remain anonymous.
I'm a Registered Nurse living in a very beautiful part of the US. I work at an inner-city community clinic which serves the poorest of the poor; homeless, sick, uneducated, immigrants, etc. They are sometimes a difficult population but if clinics like ours were not available, they would not get medical care. While some of my stories are sad and difficult, I do have a sense of humor about a lot of it. Partly, it's my personality and partly because one has to in order to survive there. The pay is crappy, the work conditions aren't great but I feel dedicated to this population. My patients teach me everyday.
I've got two amazing grown kids who are my best accomplishment. I'm divorced after a long marriage. I've been told I should write a book about my dating experiences. Believe me, some of them are quite entertaining. I'm still holding out hope that I'll meet the man with whom I want to spend the rest of my life.